Gun turret



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April 4, 1944. c, FQGLE 2,345,740

GUN TURRET Filed Sept. 15, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Way/0x7 6 INVENTOR.

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' GUN TURRET Filed Sept. 15, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 [70 f5 IIQVENTOR.

%a;1a4wre Patented Apr. 4, 1944 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE GUN TURRET Clayton G. Fogle, Williamsport, Pa.

Application September 15, 1941, Serial No. 410,938

6 Claims.

My invention relates to gun mounts, and has among its objects and advantages the provision of an improved turret particularly adapted to installation of guns in tanks and the like.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a gun turret in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the turret structure with the gun mounting facilities removed;

Figure 5 is a sectional view along the line 55 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view along the line 65 of Figure 3.

In the embodiment selected for illustration, I make use of a base In which may be fixedly secured inside a tank as indicated in my application for patent on airplane tank filed of even date herewith. A flange I2 is provided on the base through the medium of which the base may be bolted to a suitable support.

On the base I0 is secured an upright post or screw l4 having threaded connection with a sleeve I6, the upper end of which is provided with an internal flange I3 and an annular end flange 20. Inside the flange 20 is rotatably mounted a short shaft 22 having a pin 24 rotatably guided by the internal flange l8.

The shaft 22 is provided with a horizontal floor 26 at its upper end having an annular depending flange 28 about its perimeter. A groove 30 is formed in the upper end of the shaft 22 to provide clearance for a projection 32 depending from a base plate 34 of a gun supporting bracket 36. The plate 34 rests on the floor 26 and is slidably guided thereon by L flanges 38 fixed to the floor 26.

Threadedly connected with the projection 32 is a screw 40 having an end 42 rotatably journaled in a body 44 formed on the flange and its other end rotatably supported in a bore 46 in the flange. A hand wheel 48 is keyed to the screw 40 to facilitate rotation thereof, and the screw is held against relative axial movement so that rotation of the screw imparts sliding movement to the bracket 36.

Two upstanding plates 50 are fixed to the base plate 34 and are provided with coaxial bores 52 for rotatably supporting a shaft 54 on each end of which is mounted a rocker arm 56. Each rocker arm comprises a first section 58 fixed to a second section 60 by a rivet 62. One first section 58 is keyed at 64 to the shaft 54 and the other first section '58 is keyed at 66 to a worm gear 68 keyed at 10 to the shaft 54.

A worm 12 meshes with the Worm gear 68 and is rotatably journaled in ears '14 on one of the plates 53. The worm 12 is rotated through the medium of a hand wheel 16.

Between the second sections 66 is mounted a gun 78 having a fiat-sided body 80 fitting snugly between the, sections. Each section is provided with a slot 82 for the reception of a screw 84 threaded into the body 8i]. In Figure 3 the sec ond sections are arranged at right angles to the first sections 58, and thegun body is loosely positioned between the second sections,

A shield 88 is bolted at 8-8 to the flange 28, this shield curving in conformity with the flange 28 and extending slightly more than one hundred and eighty degrees about its forward perimeter. Parallel and vertical L flanges 99 are welded to the shield for slidably guiding a safety slide 92 having an opening 94 for accommodating the gun barrel 96 and a slot 98 accommodating the telescopic sight I00 of the gun. The safety slide 92 may be adjusted vertically and the gun 18 may pivot about the axes of the screws 84, with the rocker arm structure 56 adjustable for height through rotation thereof about the axis of the shaft 54.

When the gun 'barrel is pivoted downwardly at a predetermined angle, the portion of a slot I02 uncovered by the safety slide is closed by a shutter I04 slidable in L flanges I06 Welded to the shield 86 and arranged at right angles to the L flanges 90. The slot 102 is of considerable length so as to permit the gun barrel to be pivoted in a vertical plane throughout a considerable degree.

The shaft 22 is rotatably supported in the flanges l8 and 20 and is provided with a circumferential groove I08 for the reception of key pins III] on screws H2 threaded into the flange 20. Thus the shaft 22 is keyed against accidental axial movement but may be rotated to facilitate adjustment of the gun about a vertical axis. The sleeve I6 may be adjusted vertically through rotation about the screw M, the sleeve being provided with a hand wheel H4 to facilitate rotation thereof.

While the shield 86 is curved, the shutter I04 is also curved so as to slide easily in the L flanges H16, a knob H6 being attached to the shutter to aid in shifting the shutter from side to side. The front wall structure of the tank in which the gun turret is installed must, of course, have a curvature conforming to the shape of the shield 86,

and the front wall must be provided with an opening of such size as to permit desirable adjustment of the gun in vertical and horizontal directions, with the shield covering the opening in the tank wall in all firing positions of the gun. The gun 18 may be pivoted about a vertical axis, since the shaft 22 is rotatably supported in the flange 28. The gun may be conveniently adjusted vertically through adjustment of the sleeve I6 on the post I4.

The gun may also be adjusted horizontally for convenient location of the gun with respect; to its supporting structure, which adjustment i attained through rotation of the handwheel 48. Minor vertical adjustments of the gun is attained through manipulation of the hand wheel 16, this wheel being located in close proximity to the wheel 48, so that both wheels are easily accessible. The slots 82 permit vertical manipulation of the gun with respect to the rocker arms 55, which movement aids in manipulation of the gun. The safety slide $2 shifts easily relatively to the shield 8'6 so as to respond to vertical movement of the gun barrel. When the safety slide 92 is moved a considerable distance downwardly it uncovers the slots I02 at the upper part of the shield 85, but the shutter H14 may be shifted horizontally to afford coverag for the uncovered extent of the slot.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully illustrate my invention, that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

In a device of the type described, a supporting means, a gun supporting bracket mounted for horizontal sliding movement on said supportin means, a screw mounted on said supporting means and operatively connected with said bracket to impart adjustment thereto through rotation of the screw, fixedl related rocker arms mounted on said bracket for rotation about a horizontal axis, gears means operatively connected with said rocker arms to impart rotation thereto, a gun positioned between said rocker arms and having a barrel, said rocker arms having slots, pin means attached to said gun and extending loosely through said slots to movably connect the gun with the rocker arms, a shield attached to said supporting means and having a vertical slot for loosely receiving said barrel, a safety slide mounted for vertical sliding movement on said shield and across said vertical slot, said safety slide having an opening for loosely receiving said barrel, and a shutter slidably mounted on said shield for movement transversely of said safety slide and coacting therewith to cover said vertical slot.

2. The invention described in claim 1 wherein said supporting means includes a horizontal floor, and flanges fixed to said floor for slidably guidin said bracket.

3. The invention described in claim 1 wherein said supporting means includes a horizontal floor, flanges fixed to said floor for slidably guiding said bracket, said floor having a slot, and a lug fixed to said bracket and threadedly connected with said screw.

4. The invention described in claim 1 wherein said supporting means includes an annular flange. means connecting said shield with said annular flange, and means supporting said sup-portin means for rotation about a vertical axis.

5. The invention described in claim 1 wherein said bracket includes two spaced plates, said rocker arms overlapping portions of said plates, and a shaft rotatably journaled in said plates and fixedly related to said rocker arms, said gear means including a worm gear fixed to said shaft, and a worm rotatabl mounted on one of said plates and meshing with said worm gear.

6. The invention described in claim 1 wherein said rocker arms each comprises two sections fixedly connected one with the other in the form of an elbow, and in which said first mentioned slots are elongated transversely of one section in each rocker arm,

CLAYTON G. FOGLE. 

